1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to the field of information security technologies, and more particularly, to a method for managing remote upgrading keys in an information security apparatus.
2. Description of Related Art
Information security apparatuses are usually hardware security apparatuses for software encryption protection, hardware encryption protection, identity authentication and so on. Remote upgrading of an information security apparatus means that: a remote source apparatus transmits upgrading information to an upgrading interface of the information security apparatus, and the information security apparatus accomplishes upgrading of internal programs or data thereof according to the upgrading information received by the upgrading interface without the need of a professional going to the site of the information security apparatus for any upgrading operation.
The remote source apparatus may be any apparatus for storing the upgrading information such as a server, a personal computer (PC), or some other information security apparatus. The remote source apparatus may be referred to as the upgrading party, and the information security apparatus may be referred to as the upgraded party.
In the remote upgrading process of the information security apparatus, the remote source apparatus generally needs to encrypt and/or add a signature to the upgrading information, and the information security apparatus receives and then decrypts and/or performs signature verification on the encrypted and/or signed upgrading information. If the decryption succeeds and/or the signature verification passes, then it represents that the upgrading information is legal and the information security apparatus can use the upgrading information for upgrading. As can be seen, the information security apparatus necessarily has keys for decryption and/or signature verification installed therein before being issued, with the keys being called remote upgrading keys. In the prior art, a set of remote upgrading keys is generally installed and enabled in advance in the information security apparatus before the information security apparatus is issued.
However, when this set of remote upgrading keys is divulged, threats will be caused to the security of the information security apparatus. For example, when this set of remote upgrading keys is divulged, a malicious attacker may steal and acquire the legal upgrading information. If the malicious attacker alters the contents of the legal upgrading information and then sends the altered upgrading information to the information security apparatus, then he may illegally upgrade the information security apparatus and cause damage to internal programs and data of the information security apparatus, or steal the data stored in the information security apparatus by the user.
As can be seen, it is difficult to prevent the information security apparatus from being maliciously attacked due to the divulgence of the remote upgrading keys in the prior art.